Prove that the system of equations $\begin{cases} x_1 - x_2 = a \\ x_3 - x_4 = b \\ x_1 + x_2 + x_3 + x_4 = 1\end{cases}$ has at least one solution in positive numbers ($x_1 ,x_2 ,x_3 ,x_4>0$) if and only if $|a| + |b| < 1$.

Let $S$ be a subset of the real numbers with the following properties: $(i)$ If $x \in S$ and $y \in S$, then $x - y \in S$; $(ii)$ If $x \in S$ and $y \in S$, then $xy \in S$; $(iii)$ $S$ contains an exceptional number $x'$ such that there is no number $y$ in $S$ satisfying $x'y + x' + y = 0$; $(iv)$ If $x \in S$ and $x \neq x'$ , there is a number $y$ in $S$ such that $xy+x+y = 0$. Show that $(a)$ $S$ has more than one number in it; $(b)$ $x' \neq -1$ leads to a contradiction; $(c)$ $x \in S$ and $x \neq 0$ implies $1/x \in S$.

Let $a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots$ be a sequence of positive integers satisfying the following property: for all positive integers $k < \ell$, for all distinct integers $m_1, m_2, \ldots, m_k$ and for all distinct integers $n_1, n_2, \ldots, n_\ell$, \[ a_{m_1} + a_{m_2} + \cdots + a_{m_k} \leqslant a_{n_1} + a_{n_2} + \cdots + a_{n_\ell}. \] Prove that there exist two integers $N$ and $b$ such that $a_n = b$ for all $n \geqslant N$.

A quadratic trinomial $p(x)$ with real coefficients is given. Prove that there is a positive integer $n$ such that the equation $p(x) = \frac{1}{n}$ has no rational roots.

Find three non-zero reals such that all quadratics with those numbers as coefficients have two distinct rational roots.

In each of (a) to (d) you have to find a strictly increasing surjective function from A to B or prove that there doesn't exist any. (a) $A=\{x|x\in \mathbb{Q},x\leq \sqrt{2}\}$ and $B=\{x|x\in \mathbb{Q},x\leq \sqrt{3}\}$ (b) $A=\mathbb{Q}$ and $B=\mathbb{Q}\cup \{\pi \} $ In (c) and (d) we say $(x,y)>(z,t)$ where $x,y,z,t \in \mathbb{R}$ , whenever $x>z$ or $x=z$ and $y>t$. (c) $A=\mathbb{R}$ and $B=\mathbb{R}^2$ (d) $X=\{2^{-x}| x\in \mathbb{N}\}$ , then $A=X \times (X\cup \{0\})$ and $B=(X \cup \{ 0 \}) \times X$ (e) If $A,B \subset \mathbb{R}$ , such that there exists a surjective non-decreasing function from $A$ to $B$ and a surjective non-decreasing function from $B$ to $A$ , does there exist a surjective strictly increasing function from $B$ to $A$? Time allowed for this problem was 2 hours.

Suppose that k and x are positive integers such that $$\frac{k}{2}=\left( \sqrt{1 +\frac{\sqrt3}{2}}\right)^x+\left( \sqrt{1 -\frac{\sqrt3}{2}}\right)^x.$$ Find the sum of all possible values of $k$

The function $ F$ is defined on the set of nonnegative integers and takes nonnegative integer values satisfying the following conditions: for every $ n \geq 0,$ (i) $ F(4n) \equal{} F(2n) \plus{} F(n),$ (ii) $ F(4n \plus{} 2) \equal{} F(4n) \plus{} 1,$ (iii) $ F(2n \plus{} 1) \equal{} F(2n) \plus{} 1.$ Prove that for each positive integer $ m,$ the number of integers $ n$ with $ 0 \leq n < 2^m$ and $ F(4n) \equal{} F(3n)$ is $ F(2^{m \plus{} 1}).$

Let $\otimes$ be a binary operation that takes two positive real numbers and returns a positive real number. Suppose further that $\otimes$ is continuous, commutative $(a\otimes b=b\otimes a)$, distributive across multiplication $(a\otimes(bc)=(a\otimes b)(a\otimes c))$, and that $2\otimes 2=4$. Solve the equation $x\otimes y=x$ for $y$ in terms of $x$ for $x>1$.

Find all continuous functions $f : R \to R$ such that $$f(x + f(y)) = f(x + y) + y,$$ for all $x, y \in R$. No proof is required for this problem.

Let $ f(x) \equal{} 1 \plus{} x \plus{} x^2 \plus{} \cdots \plus{} x^{100}$. Find $ f'(1)$.

Prove the identity $ \frac{n-1}{2}=\sum_{k=1}^n \left\{ \frac{m+k-1}{n} \right\} , $ where $ n\ge 2, m $ are natural numbers, and $ \{\} $ denotes the fractional part.

Find all functions $f: \mathbb R^{+} \to \mathbb R^{+}$ satisfying \begin{align*} f(f(x)+y) = f(y) + x, \qquad \text{for all } x,y \in \mathbb R^{+}. \end{align*} Note that $\mathbb R^{+}$ is the set of all positive real numbers.

The domain of the function $f(x)=\log_{\frac12}(\log_4(\log_{\frac14}(\log_{16}(\log_{\frac1{16}}x))))$ is an interval of length $\tfrac mn$, where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. What is $m+n$? $\textbf{(A) }19\qquad \textbf{(B) }31\qquad \textbf{(C) }271\qquad \textbf{(D) }319\qquad \textbf{(E) }511\qquad$

Let $ x,y,z$ be positive real numbers, show that $ \frac {xy}{z} \plus{} \frac {yz}{x} \plus{} \frac {zx}{y} > 2\sqrt [3]{x^3 \plus{} y^3 \plus{} z^3}.$

A train from stop $A$ to stop $B$ is traveled in $X$ minutes ($0 <X <60$). It is known that when starting from $A$, as well as when arriving at $B$, the angle formed by the hour and the minute had measure equal to $X$ degrees. Find $X $.

The number $12$ is written on the whiteboard. Each minute, the number on the board is either multiplied or divided by one of the numbers $2$ or $3$ (a division is possible only if the result is an integer) . Prove that the number that will be written on the board in exactly one hour will not be equal to $54$.

Given three reals $a_1,\,a_2,\,a_3>1,\,S=a_1+a_2+a_3$. Provided ${a_i^2\over a_i-1}>S$ for every $i=1,\,2,\,3$ prove that \[\frac{1}{a_1+a_2}+\frac{1}{a_2+a_3}+\frac{1}{a_3+a_1}>1.\]

Show that if an infinite arithmetic progression of positive integers contains a square and a cube, it must contain a sixth power.

Given $ a_0 \equal{} 1$, $ a_1 \equal{} 3$, and the general relation $ a_n^2 \minus{} a_{n \minus{} 1}a_{n \plus{} 1} \equal{} (\minus{}1)^n$ for $ n \ge 1$. Then $ a_3$ equals: $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{13}{27}\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 33\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 21\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 10\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \minus{}17$

Let there be a triangle $\triangle ABC$ with $BC=a$, $CA=b$, $AB=c$. Let $T$ be a point not inside $\triangle ABC$ and on the same side of $A$ with respect to $BC$, such that $BT-CT=c-b$. Let $n=BT$ and $m=CT$. Find the point $P$ that minimizes $f(P)=-a \cdot AP + m \cdot BP + n \cdot CP$.

Number $a$ is such that $\forall a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4 \in \mathbb{R}$, there are integers $k_1, k_2, k_3, k_4$ such that $\sum_{1 \leq i < j \leq 4} ((a_i - k_i) - (a_j - k_j))^2 \leq a$. Find the minimum of $a$.

If $p (x) = c_0 + c_1x + c_2x^2 + c_3x^3$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients with $a, b,c$ integers and different from each other, prove that it cannot happen simultaneously that $p (a) = b$, $p (b) = c$ and $p (c) = a$.

Is it possible that by using the following transformations: \[ f(x) \mapsto x^2 \cdot f \left(\frac{1}{x}+1 \right) \ \ \ \text{or} \ \ \ f(x) \mapsto (x-1)^2 \cdot f\left(\frac{1}{x-1} \right)\] the function $f(x)=x^2+5x+4$ is sent to the function $g(x)=x^2+10x+8$ ?

Find all pairs of real numbers $(x,y)$ satisfying $$(2x+1)^2+y^2+(y-2x)^2=\frac13.$$